Delhi, the heart of Hindustan, has been a focal point of attraction for all foreign invaders. The history of Delhi District prior to British rule which has been at various epochs from the time of its foundation, the seat of ruling dynasties of Rajputs, Pathans, Mughals and Marathas. The culture, tradition, as well as its history itself has been changing constantly since its origin, supposedly in 736AD to the present day. This Gazetteer is a well-preserved historical record of the society, economy, culture, geography and anthropology till the end of the first decade of the twentieth century. It gives us a fascinating glimpse into the mosaic of life as lived in Delhi till the first decade of twentieth century.

The first edition of the Gazetteer of the Delhi District was published in 1883-4. The old Delhi District was dismembered on 1 October 1912, and Delhi became the Capital of India. Accordingly, this Gazetteer was prepared to show the state of the old Delhi District of the Punjab province, as it existed at the time when the new province of Delhi was constituted. This revised Gazetteer of Delhi incorporates the 1911 Census figures. This edition, including the statistical part, which has been out-of-print for a very long time now, is being made available for the use of scholars the world over.